General Question

Good vegetarian bean dishes?

I’ve been trying to add more protein to my vegetarian diet. Making big dishes over the weekend and bringing healthy lunch with me to work. I’ve made lots of lentil soups and black bean soups, and chili. Any other delicious bean dishes or bean salads that I should try? I usually use canned beans (other than for lentils which I make on the stovetop) but I also have a slowcooker if anyone has slowcooker ideas. Thanks!

Pound 6 cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt into a paste. Slowly work in 1 cup of olive oil, whisking to form a sauce. Set aside.

Put the beans, remaining olive oil, remaining garlic clove, bay leaf and water into a pot. Simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the remaining ingredients except for the tomatoes, bread and olive oil sauce. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 min.

Take out the chili and chop it with the tomatoes to form a salsa.

Toast the bread.

Strain the vegetables and beans from the liquid, saving the liquid.

In each of 4 serving bowls, place a slice of toast. Pour the broth over. Serve as a soup course with the salsa. Then serve the vegetables and beans with the garlic sauce.

Here’s my latest yummy soup—kind of a minestrone—with beans as a feature:
Can of best Italian plum tomatoes, heat up and cut up the tomatoes. Add some water so it’s not too thick and like a tomato sauce.
Add vegetables (broccoli, string beans, carrots, onions, ....)
Add a can of beans.
Cook until done.
It varies with the veggies, but the carrots seem important—they add a sweetness.

Bring the stock to the boil and add the lentils. Simmer for 20 minutes. keep checking & stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is soft.
Stir the cooked onion and garlic into the lentils, season with cumin & cayenne/chillis. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile chop the cilantro (I find this easiest to do with scissors).
Remove the soup from the heat and puree in a blender until smooth.
Just before serving, stir in the chopped coriander and lemon juice.
Delicious served with strips of lightly toasted pitta bread to dip into it.